The present invention relates to a fatty composition, and in particular to a fatty composition in which part of the conventional triglyceride fat has been replaced by non-digestible polyol fatty acid polyester. The present invention is particularly concerned with a fatty composition for use in the preparation of puff pastry products, Danish pastry, croissants and the like. It further relates to a layered dough product containing a mixture of glyceride fat and polyol fatty acid polyester.
In the western world 30 to 50 % of the energy intake is due to the consumption of fats and oils. Of this amount about 40 % is consumed as `visible` fat, such as butter, margarine, lard, shortening and edible oils. A considerable proportion of the `visible` fats is introduced into the average diet by consumption of food products in which fat has been incorporated, such as pastries, biscuits, cakes, cream-fillings, and like products.
In view of the health hazards connected to obesity and unbalanced fat-intake there is a continuous interest in food products having a reduced caloric content. An attractive route to reduction of the caloric content in food products, such as in particular the above-referred-to bakery products and the fatty compositions such as margarines and shortenings used therefor, is replacement of conventional digestible fats and oils by non-digestible fat substitutes.
Polyol fatty acid polyesters, and in particular, the sugar fatty acid polyesters, such as e.g. the sucrose fatty acid polyesters, are known as suitable low-calorie fat-replacers in edible products. Substantially indigestible for human beings they have physical and organoleptic properties very similar to triglyceride oils and fats conventionally used in edible products. Polyol fatty acid polyesters are also reported to have use as pharmaceutical agents e.g. in view of their ability to take up fat-soluble substances, such as in particular cholesterol, in the gastro-intestinal tract, and subsequently remove those substances from the human body.
Edible fat-containing products comprising indigestible polyol fatty acid polyesters are known in the art, and described in e.g. U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,600,186, 4,005,195, 4,005,196, 4,034,083 and EP 0 233 856, and EP 0 235 836.
The application of sucrose polyesters in bakery products has been disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,782. In this publication bakery products are disclosed comprising liquid sucrose polyesters in combination with sources of solid fatty acids and microcrystalline cellulose. The use of polyol fatty acid polyesters which are liquid at body temperature, are reported to give rise to the so-called problem of anal leakage. For this reason it is necessary to introduce considerable amounts of solids in the sucrose polyester phase by adding sufficiently solid fatty acids or a suitable source thereof. In the area of bakery margarines and products where solids profiles play an important and dominant role, the restrictions connected to the use of liquid sucrose polyesters and the necessary measures to reduce or eliminate the problem of anal leakage are formulation-wise undesirable.
In EP 0 236 288 a particular type of polyol polyesters which is partially liquid and partially solid at body temperature and the possible application thereof to baked products are described. This selection of polyol polyester is reported to avoid or reduce the problem of anal leakage.
However, when used to fully replace conventional fats in bakery margarines and products, polyol fatty acid polyesters of this type have been found to give unacceptable products and processing difficulties. In particular problems of sandy texture and stickiness during processing were encountered.
In EP-A 0 307 152 fat products are described which can be used in the preparation of dough compositions. According to the European application the fat products should have a penetration between 120 mm/10 and 350 mm/10 at 21.degree. C. Dough prepared from fat products of the type described in EP 0 307 152, when used in the preparation of puff pastry and the like, exhibits insufficient lift upon baking.